Australian Community Children’s Services – Advocating nationally for the right of Australia’s children to access quality, not-for-profit, community children’s services.

ACCS is the peak body representing Australia’s not-for-profit community owned children’s services and those who support the right of children to access these services. ACCS builds on the strong history of the National Association of Community Based Children’s Services (NACBCS) Est 1982.

Read how the early childhood policies of the major parties match up with the policies that ACCS is promoting to the next Australian Government to deliver benefits to children, their families and the communities in which they live, as well as wider national benefits from social capital gains such as enhanced life course trajectories and health outcomes; and from economic gains in the short, medium and longer term.

ACCS is putting all political parties on notice to show Australian families that they will protect and enhance quality in early childhood education and care if they win the next election.

The ACCS policy platform that calls for three crucial commitments from the next federal government:

• to commit to the National Partnership for the National Quality Framework in Early Childhood
• to build the skills of the educators in early and middle childhood services
• to ensure access and affordability of two full day per week of quality early childhood education and care for the children and families who have most to gain – those who are experiencing vulnerability

ACCS is also advocating for investment in the learning and development of children in the first three years of life, extending funding to three year old preschool programs in all settings, keeping children and families out of detention, protecting access for families experiencing vulnerability, continuation of the National Quality Framework and reintroduction of planning controls to prevent oversupply.

All children should be empowered to realise their potential and determine their own futures.

ACCS stands alongside over 40 leading child welfare, education and research organisations in endorsing the new position paper released by Early Childhood Australia and SNAICC–National Voice for our Children Working Together to Ensure Equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children in the Early Years.

We are passionate about ensuring that every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child can access culturally appropriate early childhood education, and that families are empowered to access the support services they need so that their children can thrive.

We must work together to ensure equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the early years.

ACCS submitted to the Senate Inquiry into the impact of red tape on child care services stressing that the focus on compliance linked to quality ensures safety and well-being for children and safeguards against the use of Government funds to subsidise poor quality and unsafe services that would have potential to harm children. Community children’s services remain very supportive of the National Quality Framework and associated law and regulations.